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Ghana's Vice-President Is Right: Vokacom Is A Great And Innovative Ghanaian Technology Company

Feature Article Vice President Bawumia
OCT 17, 2017 LISTEN
Vice President Bawumia

I wrote and posted an article yesterday, entitled: "The Fight Against High-Level Corruption In Ghana: The National Review Newspaper Will Pursue Truth Relentlessly - And Fearlessly Report It".

It elicited an immediate response from a discerning reader who kindly pointed out a number of inaccuracies, which I feel obliged to correct immediately - for those of us who love the game of cricket passionately are a fair-minded lot.

It was pointed out to me that developing a digital addressing system using a combination of numbers and letters isn't as esoteric as I seemed to think - in other words it is not surprising that Vokacom has the capacity to develop one itself too and has successfully done so for Mother Ghana.

It was also made known to me that there are quite a few of such systems available - "including the free plus codes from google. These systems are flawed as they are difficult to remember and error prone when communicating them. If you mix up a Z and a 2 if written on a package you would not know and end up in the wrong place."

Apparently, in the what3words system "words are very easy to remember" and as "similar words are put "far apart it is easy to spot mistakes." And because "it is also a global system" one "can use it in many other apps and systems and now even cars. None of what3words "competitors have this."

The reader went on to say: "In your latest article you mention 3cm - the system is 3m x3m. It was invented by Chris Sheldrick." Giles Rhys Jones is on the what3words "management team." The what3words "app is indeed free for people to use" but they "charge business and governments" to use their code.

"The price that you mention that was charged is relatively small for a national addressing system and I would envisage plenty of additional costs of communication to the population and technical integration. It would be interesting to see how small business and the public can access and get the most out of the systems."

Globally, the "differentiation" is what3words "ease of use, ecosystem of partners and memorability."

Well, this blog has always supported the idea of brilliant Ghanaian entrepreneurs partnering global class-leading entrepreneurs and companies in their individual industry sectors to empower the enterprise Ghana.

Finally, since we want nothing but the very best for Mother Ghana, the question therefore is: Would it not redound to the benefit of our homeland Ghana were the founder and CEO of Vokacom, Mr. Kwesi Afrifa, to partner what3words to give Ghana a bleeding-edge national digital addressing system? We rest our case - and unreservedly apologise to Nana Osei Kwasi Afrifa and Vokacom: which indeed is a great Ghanaian technology company.

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